Ranchi, Aug. 9: The highest echelons of the Coal India Limited (CIL) and its subsidiaries are in the grip of a power vacuum.

Top posts have remained vacant for months now and executives cite the situation as an example of the careless way the public sector unit is being run.

Three subsidiaries, Central Coalfields Limited, Mahanadi Coalfields Limited and Northern Coalfields Limited do not have the full quota of directors.

Officers said this problem began last year—13 months ago to be exact— when CIL chairman N.K. Sharma was suspended by then Union coal minister Karia Munda. CIL director (marketing) S. Kumar, who was appointed then, continues to officiate as chairman on an ad hoc basis.

Nearer home, at the CIL subsidiary Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) , the important post of director (finance) has been empty for the past six months. Posts of director (technical and operations) and director (project and planning) have remained vacant for four and one-and-a half months respectively. Only the post of director (personnel) is held by a regular appointee.

To cap it all, the top post of chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) is going to be vacated tomorrow as the present CMD J.P. Sharma’s application for voluntary retirement has been accepted. Sharma had applied for VRS, citing personal reasons, as reported by The Telegraph two months ago.

Moreover, CCL’s production target has been increased by two million tonnes from 34 million tonnes. Executives wonder how this can be achieved with no officers to lead them.

Director (personnel) A. Kumar, who is likely to officiate as CMD till the ministry finds Sharma’s replacement, has a tough task ahead.

Another CIL subsidiary Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) is also without a CMD for the last four months or so. The Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL) is running without director (technical) and director(personnel) since last June and January respectively, sources said. “Are these posts redundant? If not, why is there no urgency to fill them?” sources asked.

It is only in the fitness of things that the highest post, that of the Union coal minister is also empty. The government is yet to name a substitute for Shibu Soren, who faces prosecution in the 1975 Chirudih case.

In the last five years, the coal industry has seen eight ministers come and go, and is waiting for the ninth minister. Dilip Ray, Shanmugam, Shahnawaz Hussain, Ram Vilas Paswan, Uma Bharti, Mamata Banerjee, and Karia Munda in the BJP-led NDA government being Soren’s predecessors.